Refortification of aluminum halidehydrocarbon complex catalyst



Patented Oct. 13, 195 3 REFORTIFICATION 0F ALUM I IALIDE- NUM HYDRO CARBON COMPLEX CATALYST John L. Groebe, Dewey, Okla assignorto'Phillips Petroleum (Jompany a corporation ol Delawai-e Application January 4, 1950, Serial No. 136,821

4 Claims. (crass-.411);

This invention relates to an improved apparatus and methodsfor refortifying Friedel-Craftsin hydrocarbon feed streams which are not reactive with the suspended aluminum halide.

Aluminum halide-hydrocarbon complex catalysts are Widely used in commercial processes for hydrocarbons.

sired degree of catalytic activity is reached. The catalyst is then ready for use. 1

Any of the aluminum halides may be used to form such complex catalysts, but

Aluminum bromide is also expensivebut finds some use in processes Where solubility of thehalide in hydrocarcially effective when applied to the use ofgranular anhydrous aluminum chloride.

In use catalysts prepared as described above action zone. v l The use of these steps with aluminum chloridehydrocarbon complex catalysts the cost of mg the pressure to that of the atmosphere these valuable hydrocarbons are vaporized and lost. As

these hydrocarbons vaporize, the temperature of other brittle corrosion resistant material is usually used in the piping and piplng failure allows the catalyst to escape at pressure of the order of A method and apparatus for accomplishing refortification of aluminum chloride-hydrocarbon his is accomplished passing the feed upwardly through a pickup chamber containing granular aluminum chloride It is frequently highly undesirable to introduce the feed into the reaction zone under conditions necessary for the F. it has been found that quantities of aluminum chloride sufiicient for catalyst refortification cannot be dissolved in an isobutane feed stream, and it is often undesirable to pass the entire feed stream through a pickup chamber. It has also been observedin pilot plant work that it is im- 6 tion of an aluminum halide-hydrocarbon complex 31 to line 39 and is passed therethrough to line catalyst. Aluminum halide is charged to cham- 3 and on to a catalyst chamber not shown.

pending material which is unreactive with the In Figure 2 portions of the apparatus which aluminum halide, which in the case of diisopropyl are the same as those numbered in Figure 1 will line l3, pump l4 therein and line 16 and pump of the circular headers 21, their supports 34 and I1 therein to manifold I8. From this manifold 36, the perforations in conduit 32, and the 2|, 22, 23, 24, and 26 into chamber I 0. As indiperforations. cated in the previous discussion of my preferred Although the process and apparatus of this embodiment the suspending liquid is first intro- 5 vention have been described and exemplified alu the storage chamber through circular headers 21 25 tically disposed contiguous sections which comfirst brought on-stream the susp nding liquid about 45 to the horizontal, and withdrawing the aluminum halide is prevented from contactnum halide has been suspended and removed line 29 to manifold by means not shown for tion; continuing the suspension and removal of reuse in suspending the catalyst. Thus in either aluminum halide from each progressively lower embodiment the aluminum halide is first brought section of said column until the same has been from chamber l0 through axial conduit 32 which same is closed at its upper end. Slotted perforations The process of claim 1 in which the alumh 30 are vertically positioned around this conduit hum halide is aluminum chloride at a plurality or levels for withdrawing the sus- 3. The process of claim 2 in which the pension of aluminum halide and suspending mapending liquid is a hy other than vertical slots, such as circles or horipen'dl-ng liquid is isobutane and the halide is Frusto-conical bailles 33 are positioned around each group of perforations to prevent aluminum JOHN GROEBE' h g q ps fi z g a References Cited in the file of this patent 18 c arge e circu ar ea ers previous y discussed are secured to the outer periphery 01 UNITED STATES PATENTS chamber I 0 as by flanges 34 and J clamps 36, Number Name Date The axial conduit is generally constructed so 2,267,412 M rvlf n c- 2 1941 that it may be readily removed from the storage 2,323,330 McMlllan uly 6, 1943 chamber. This is made possible by flanging same 213601700 MCAlliStBr t al- Oct. 17, 1944 to a short length or conduit 31 secured to the 2,421,326 roebe May 27, 1947 bottom head of the chamber. I bolt 38 is pro- 2,515,138 sc utze July 11, 1950 vigeiailzliethe top of said conduit for ease in hoist- FOREIGN PATENTS The suspended aluminum halide withdrawn Number Country Date through conduit 32 is carried through conduit 536*788 Great Britain May 1941 

1. A PROCESS FOR REFORTIFICATION OF AN ALUMINUM HALIDE-HYDROCARBON COMPLEX FROM A PACKED UPRIGHT CYLINDRICAL COLUMN OF SOLID PARTICULATE ALUMINUM HALIDE CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED CONTIGUOUS SECTIONS WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A SUSPENDING LIQUID UNREACTIVE WITH ALUMINUM HALIDE UNDER SUSPENDING CONDITIONS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP SECTION OF SAID COLUMN BELOW THE UPPER LEVEL OF SAID PARTICULATE ALUMINUM HALIDE THROUGH A SERIES OF INJECTION ZONES CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED IN RELATION TO SAID COLUMN, EACH BEING INWARDLY DIRECTED AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 45* TO A RADIUS OF SAID COLUMN INTERSECTING EACH SAID ZONE AND AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 45* TO THE HORIZONTAL, AND WITHDRAWING LIQUID AND SUSPENDED ALUMINUM HALIDE AT THE LIQUID LEVEL AXIALLY OF SAID COLUMN SO AS TO CAUSE SAID SUSPENDING LIQUID TO PASS OBLIQUELY AND SPIRALLY THROUGH SAID COLUMN; WHEN THE ALUMINUM HALIDE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED AND REMOVED FROM SAID TOP SECTION, SUSPENDING AND REMOVING THE ALUMINUM HALIDE FROM THE NEXT LOWER SECTION BY THE PROCEDURE UTILIZED IN SAID TOP SECTION; CONTINUING THE SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL OF ALUMINUM HALIDE FROM EACH PROGRESSIVELY LOWER SECTION OF SAID COLUMN UNTIL THE SAME HAS BEEN DEPLETED; AND PASSING THE LIQUID SUSPENSION OF ALUMINUM HALIDE INTO CONTACT WITH AN ALUMINUM HALIDE-HYDROCARBON COMPLEX SO AS TO REFORTIFY SAME. 